The top attractions in Cuzco

This town's name derives from the Quechua word p'isaqa pisaq, meaning partridge, very abundant bird in this area. The new town was built on the very edge of the Urubamba River, and while its ruins are located on the cliffs of the

It is a spectacular fortress, or temple as it´s called now, built with huge carved rocks laid together with absolute precision. Along with Machu Picchu and Choquequirao, it is undoubtedly one of the greatest architectural works of

The "Cathedral Basilica of the Virgin of the Assumption" was built between 1560 and 1664. Its outstanding reddish color was from the Spanish using it for building stones of Sacsayhuaman, the Inca fortress located on top of the city.

The San Pedro market is opposite the train station of San Pedro and is huge. They sell what you'd imagine (mainly food) and it also has a sort of food court where you can eat very cheap typical food. I think that if you are in Cusco

I went there the first day of 2003 and it was one of the best experiences of my life. It is a place that few tourists know, that's difficult to access. I had to walk far, but it was an adventure! It is a wonderful spot, ideal for

The Armas Plaza is the main square in the center of Cuzco. After having been the center of the ancient Inca empire. Here are some of the more important sights in the city: the Church of the Jesuits and the Cathedral of Cuzco, as well

In this neighborhood the majority of artisan workshops and goldsmiths are located. There are narrow and steep streets with old, Spanish-built houses over important Incan foundations. There are small inns and restaurants and which are

The Inca Trail is a 3-day trek that takes you from Cuzco to Machu Picchu. First of all, you should know that it's quite hard, because of the height. Another option is to take a train to Aguas Calientes, spend the night and the next

Along with the Inca ruins, Pisac market brings a lot of visitors to the city. These markets are open Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. There is great participation all of these days. On Sunday Pisac craft market is a bit touristy, but

In the pictures you can see the famous stone of twelve angles, an example of Incan stone work mastery. The stone is known for its peculiarity of the presence of 12 angles which fits perfectly with the stones placed around part of the

The Qorikancha Site was the largest temple of the Inca empire. It was looted during the Spanish conquest and a church was built in the same place. Now a small museum was is there and it contains various elements like prehistoric Inca

In order to travel to Machu Picchu and not spend a lot of money you should first go to Cuzco and there you should get a tour. It'll take you to the ruins because making these reservations from another country will be very expensive.

The Andean Explorer train from Cusco to Puno is much less touristy and therefore much cheaper than the more famous train to Machu Picchu. However, the landscapes are no less spectacular. The train crosses the Andres from Cusco, the

Tambomachay is eight kilometres from Cusco and one kilometre from Puca-Pucara, on the slopes of a hill. The name comes from two Quechua words: Tampu, open accomodation, and Mach'ay, resting place. Tambo is also called the Cave because

Q'enqo is an Incan temple that is dedicated to Pachamama, Mother Nature. It is 1 km from the ruins of the ancient city of Sacsayhuaman. I thought this site was small but it's very different from others in the region. You can go

About 7km from Cusco, you'll find this mystical place whose name means "red fortress" in Quechua because of the tone of the rocks at sunset. It is a military construction composed of overlapping terraces, interior squares, towers,

According to the chroniclers Wiraqocha Temple was built by the Inca Wiraqocha in homage to the Superior Invisible God of Andean people: Apu Kon Titi Wiraqocha. It's a great building for its time,it was completely covered with wooden

The Urubamba River runs through the main part of the Cusqueño territory and is called the Vilcanota River. Since it passes through the town of Urubamba, it goes by that name as well. The turbulence of the river as it passes through

The Church of the Society of Jesus was built by the Jesuits in 1576 and it is considered one of the best examples of colonial baroque architecture in the Americas. It is even more beautiful than the cathedral in the Plaza de Armas,

This museum, located two blocks from the Plaza de Armas, isn´t a must-see, but it is particularly interesting for art lovers. Different kinds of local artwork are on display here. It´s free to get in and you can take a tour to see and

We strolled through the Sacred Valley and visited Piquillacta. Very mysterious and interesting, this city is bigger than Machu Picchu, but much of it is still buried, and for lack of money, all the required excavations haven't taken

Raqchi is a small village of about 80 houses. The locals are mainly engaged in manufacturing ceramics, which they sell in the market and use on their own land. The town's essence is exemplified by its square where the market is held

The Museo de Arte Precolombino is located in a beautiful colonial house with a large courtyard in Plaza de las Nazarenas in Cusco's San Blas neighborhood. The museum exhibits extraordinary objects from 1250 BC to 1532 AD and includes

If you go to the bus station, the Pachacutec Monument is very close and climbing it offers a great view over the city. The monument is one of 16 which are included in the tourist ticket. It is in a quiet part of town.